The present invention relates to seat-heating systems, and more particularly to an apparatus for preventing interruption of an electrical connection within a heating system of a seat.
Electric heating systems are commonly used for heating of seats, such as in automotive vehicles. Seat-heating systems are typically and physically installed near an upper or outer surface of a seat, to ensure energy-favorable heat transfer. Many seat-heating systems employ heating strands, for example, as heating elements. The heating strands, typically, meander over an area of a seat and have a pair of ends coupled so as to receive a supply current. The heating strands in response to the supply current heat the surface of the seat.
Due to close proximity of the heating strand and the seat surface, damage to the heating strand can occur during sewing or stitching of the seat system, such as during stitching of a seat covering over a seat pan or seat back.
To avoid any appreciable damage to the heating strands and any interruption of an electrical connection throughout length of the heating strands, the heating strands are commonly xe2x80x9copened upxe2x80x9d or severed in seam areas to create pairs of severed ends. The severed ends are connected to highly flexible connecting strands having a relatively larger cross-sectional area. Unfortunately, even with use of flexible connecting strands having cross-sectional areas of approximately 0.5 mm2 to 1.0 mm2, damage to the connecting strands during stitching of a seat cannot be prevented with any certainty. Current needles, especially needles used in the stitching of leather, may have cutting widths of up to 2 mm, and therefore may sever and thus completely interrupt an electrical connection in a flexible connecting strand having cross-sectional area as stated. The current needles may even sever connecting strands having greater cross-sectional areas or significantly damage the strands such that they are inoperative, operate inappropriately, or operate for only a short period of time due to thermal temperature breakdown or simply normal seat wear-and-tear to such a time when the strands eventually become inoperative.
A known method of avoiding appreciable damage to the connecting strands is to increase the gauge of the connecting strands such that the cross-sectional area of the connecting strands is larger than the diameter of the stitching needle in an attempt to provide more damage resistant connecting strands. One disadvantage associated with using connecting strands having increased gauge is dependancy on connecting strand cross-sectional area in relation to diameter of a stitching needle, which prevents use of connecting strands having uniform cross-sectional area. Also, use of nonuniform connecting strands and heavier gauge connecting strands increases manufacturing costs of a seat-heating system.
It is therefore desirable to provide an electrical connecting apparatus for use in seat-heating systems that is more resilient to stitching of a seat system and assures an impervious and robust electrical connection.
The present invention provides an apparatus for preventing interruption of an electrical connection within a heating system of a seat. An intermediate electrical connecting apparatus for a seat-heating system is provided and includes a first junction and a second junction. The first junction is electrically coupled to a first heating element segment of a heating element. The second junction is electrically coupled to a second heating element segment of the heating element. A seam segment is electrically coupled between the first junction and the second junction and includes a plurality of redundant electrically conductive connections, which have a spacing arrangement therebetween.
One of several advantages of the present invention is that it provides redundant connections for a seat-heating element within a stitching area. In so doing, the present invention prevents interruption in electrical continuity and maintains electrical connection integrity of the heating element in the stitching area.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an intermediate apparatus with redundant connections that have varying spacing or spacing of a predetermined arrangement such that the probability of each connection being severed or damaged during stitching of a seam is reduced as compared with that of prior art techniques.
Furthermore, the present invention provides redundant electrically conductive connections that may have nonuniform or at least partially random spacing, which not only decreases probability of damage to the redundant connections but also minimizes costs in implementation thereof.
Moreover, the present invention is versatile in that it may be adapted to various electrical conductors for use in various applications.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it may be integrally formed during manufacturing of a heating element or may be applied during manufacturing of a seat system.